Issue
Date: September 17, 2006
FRUIT + ICE CREAM = yummy, fast desserts
In minutes, you can make three spectacular sweets.
No time to make dessert? You can serve good ice cream. Got a
few extra minutes? You can end the meal spectacularly.
Reach for cans: In a large skillet, heat canned tart cherries and cherry pie filling with frozen apple juice concentrate and some brandy. Add a bit more brandy (for a really good show, dim the lights on the way to the table) and ignite with a long wooden match. Voilà -- Easy Cherries Jubilee.
Turn on the appliances: For Quick Peach Melba, microwave fresh peaches in a little peach schnapps. Raspberry sauce will zip together fast in a food processor or a blender.
Get out the frying pan: Bananas Foster gets a glamorous update that plays off what I call "the fried ice cream effect." Bananas, brown sugar and walnuts are folded in a flour tortilla and fried. The tortilla crisps up, and the sugar dissolves into sauce. Top the Breezy Burrito Bananas Foster with a two-minute sauce for a dessert that rivals the Big Easy original.
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Easy Cherries Jubilee
1 21-ounce can cherry pie filling
1 14.5-ounce can water-packedtart red pitted cherries, drained
1 cup thawed apple juice concentrate
3/4 cup brandy, divided
1 tsp. almond extract
1 quart premium vanilla ice cream
Bring pie filling, cherries and concentrate to simmer in a 12-inch skillet. Add 1/2 cup of the brandy; simmer to blend and concentrate flavors, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Stir in almond extract; pour in remaining brandy. Carefully ignite to burn off alcohol.
In each of eight bowls, put 1/2 cup scoop of ice cream; spoon sauce over ice cream. Serve.
Serves 8
Per serving: 383 calories, 61g carbohydrates, 3g protein, 8g fat (5g saturated), 29mg cholesterol,1g fiber, 79mg sodium
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Quick Peach Melba
1/4 cup peach schnapps or peach juice
4 large peaches, halved, pitted
1 12-ounce jar seedless raspberry jam
1 12-ounce bag frozen raspberries, thawed
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted in a 300-degree oven for 6 to 8 minutes
1 quart premium vanilla ice cream
Pour schnapps in a microwave-safe pie plate large enough to hold all peach halves in a single layer. Place peaches cut side down in pan. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Turn peaches over and microwave about 2 minutes longer, until the fruit is tender when poked with a sharp knife. Let peaches cool, then peel. Refrigerate.
Transfer jam to a microwave-safe measuring cup; microwave on high 1 to 2 minutes until partially melted. In a food processor, purée jam and raspberries. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl; strain sauce to remove seeds, pressing with a rubber spatula. Discard seeds. Refrigerate.
Put 1/2 cup ice cream in each of eight shallow bowls, then a peach half, 2 Tbs. sauce and 1 Tb. almonds. Serve.
Serves 8
Per serving: 374 calories, 63g carbohydrates, 4g protein, 12g fat (5g saturated), 29mg cholesterol,3g fiber, 57mg sodium
Note: Serve surplus sauce on fruit, yogurt, waffles, etc.
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Breezy Burrito Bananas Foster
9 Tbs. brown sugar, divided
2 Tbs. butter
1/4 cup water
2 Tbs. tequila or dark rum (optional)
3 flour tortillas (10-inch or burrito-style)
2 large bananas, peeled, cut in coins
3 Tbs. chopped walnuts
Toothpicks, for securing tortillas
2 cups vegetable oil
3 cups premium vanilla ice cream
In a small saucepan, bring 6 Tbs. of brown sugar and the butter and water to a boil. Stir in liquor; simmer to blend flavors, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Place one flour tortilla on a work surface. Place 1/3 of the banana slices just below the center, forming the fruit into a log; sprinkle with 1 Tb. brown sugar and 1 Tb. walnuts. Fold both sides of the tortilla over the filling, then fold bottom of the tortilla over the filling and roll it over to form a packet. Secure with toothpicks.
Repeat with remaining tortillas, bananas, sugar and nuts. (You can make ahead to this point and hold at room temperature for 1 hour.)
Meanwhile, warm oil in a Dutch oven set over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees on a candy or deep-fry thermometer. Add all three stuffed tortillas. Fry, turning once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side.
Transfer to paper towels, lightly blot surface oil, remove toothpicks and halve on the diagonal with a serrated knife.
Spoon 1 Tb. butter sauce in the bottom of each of six shallow bowls. Place half a tortilla and 1/2 cup of ice cream in each pool of sauce. Drizzle with remaining sauce, and serve immediately.
Serves 6
Per serving: 497 calories, 67g carbohydrates, 7g protein, 23g fat (9g saturated), 39mg cholesterol, 3g fiber, 273mg sodium
Find more of Pam Anderson's CookSmart recipes, including fruit and frozen desserts, at allrecipes.com.
Pam Anderson is the author of four cookbooks, including her latest,
"Perfect Recipes for Having People Over" (Houghton Mifflin, $35).
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